THE PALESTINE 1946-47 BRITISH EMPIRE MEDAL AND CAMPAIGN SERVICE GROUP TO RIFLEMAN (LATER LANCE-CORPORAL) JAMES DEMPSTER, ROYAL ULSTER RIFLES, WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY SEEN SERVICE IN PALESTINE 1936-39, WHEN HE SAW SERVICE WITH THE "SPECIAL NIGHT SQUADS", OFFENSIVE CLANDESTINE UNITS THAT WERE INITIALLY RAISED IN 1938 AND COMMANDED BY ORDE WINGATE, WHO WENT ON TO RAISE AND COMMAND THE CHINDITS DURING THE BURMA CAMPAIGN OF 1942-44. WINGATE'S "NIGHT SQUADS" BEING FORERUNNERS OF THE SPECIAL FORCES COUNTER-TERRORIST UNITS THAT HAVE BECOME AN INTEGRAL PART OF CONTEMPORARY WARFARE.
THE NIGHT SQUAD THAT DEMPSTER SAW SERVICE WITH IN PALESTINE WAS COMMANDED BY 2ND LIEUTENANT (LATER MAJOR-GENERAL) HUMPHREY "BALLA" BREDIN, 2ND BATTALION ROYAL ULSTER RIFLES , WHO WAS AWARDED A MILITARY CROSS AND BAR WHILST COMMANDING THE NIGHT SQUAD THAT DEMPSTER SAW SERVICE WITH, DEMPSTER HIMSELF EARNING A REPUTATION AS AN "EFFICIENT AND FEARLESS SOLDIER" WHILST SERVING ALONGSIDE BREDIN.
Six: British Empire Medal, military division, George VI, 2nd issue, GVIR cypher (officially named, impressed in plain capital letters and numbers: 7010394 RFLMN ; JAMES DEMPSTER. R.U.R.); General Service Medal 1918-62, George VI, Indiae Imp obverse, 2 clasps, Palestine, Palestine 1939-45 (officially named, impressed in plain block capital letters and numbers: 7010394 RFMN. J. DEMPSTER R.U.RIF.); 1939-45 France and Germany Stars, 1939-45 Defence and War Medals (these last four all unnamed, as issued).
When worn by Dempster, his medal group consisted of only the six medals for the Palestine campaigns and the Second World War, mounted loose style on a medal brooch bar, with only the ribbons for the Queen's Korea Medal, United Nations Korea Medal and Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal present, with those latter medal ribbons also mounted on the medal brooch bar, and all of the ribbons were badly worn. The group has now been court mounted for display with new ribbons, with only the ribbons for the three Korea and Long Service medals, as worn by Dempster.
Group accompanied by the original ribbons from the Queen's Korea Medal, UN Korea Medal and Army LSGC Medal that were originally attached to Dempster's brooch bar alongside his medals.
Although Dempster was entitled to the Queen's and United Nations Korea Medals and the Army LSGC Medal, (Lance Corporal Dempster's Long Service Medal was awarded on 30/6/1950, Army Order 61/51, list 10), there is a degree of uncertainty with regard to whether Dempster was ever actually issued with those medals, due to his having died in Hong Kong in 1952 whilst still serving. These latter three medals may have been forwarded to his next of kin, or, alternatively, they may have been returned to the mint because his next of kin could not be traced.
Dempster's British Empire Medal was announced in the London Gazette on 7/1/1949
"7010395 Rifleman James Dempster, The Royal Ulster Rifles, British Empire Medal (Military Division) in recognition of Gallant and Distinguished service in Palestine during the period 27th September 1946 to 26th March 1947".
The original recommendation for Dempster's British Empire Medal, unlike most others of the period 1946-47, not traced. Possibly because it was a "restricted" recommendation, awarded for covert operations similar to the ones Dempster was engaged in during the period 1936-39
Group accompanied by extract Royal Ulster Rifles Enlistment Register (Army 358 Book), obituary from the regimental journal, "Quis Separabit", and an original 2 page manuscript letter dated 25/11/2005 from Colonel W.R.H. Charley, Royal Ulster Rifles, who saw service alongside Dempster in Palestine and Korea giving details of Dempster's services during both of those campaigns,
James Dempster (1907-1952) is recorded in his Army 358 Book entry as having been born on 10/6/1907 in Ballymacarrett, County Down, Northern Ireland and having enlisted into the Royal Ulster Rifles on 10/11/1926 at Belfast, Dempster's enlistment being approved on 11/11/1926, whereupon he was posted for service with the 2nd Battalion Royal Ulster Rifles, on 22/4/1927. At the time of enlistment Dempster was 19 years and 153 days old, gave his trade as shop assistant, home address as 3 Trinity Street, Belfast, and his next of kin as Rose Anne Dempster. Lance-Corporal Dempster died in Hong Kong on 26/11/1952, whilst serving with the Royal Ulster Rifles.
The following obituary for Lance-Corporal Dempster is taken from the regimental journal, "Quis Separabit", volume 22, number 1, Summer 1953.
Lance-Corporal "Jimmy" Dempster served continuously with the Regiment for 26 years, with the 2nd Battalion from 1927 to the time of the Amalgamation, and from then to the time of his decease with the 1st Battalion. His sudden death was a tremendous shock to everyone, but those who knew him best feel that it happened, as he would have wished, while still in harness. L/C Dempster represented the Regiment at Football and Hockey for a number of years and was still a member of the Battalion Shooting team last season. During his earlier years he was an exceptionally good Bugler, and on several occasions was given the appointment of C.O's. Bugler. During service in Palestine with the 2nd Battalion (1937-39) he was a member of the Special Night Squads under command of Lt H.E.N. Bredin M.C. During this period he earned a reputation as an efficient and fearless soldier. L/C. Dempster was awarded the British Empire Medal in 1949. His death occurred suddenly, from natural causes, on 26th Nov., 1952, and he was laid to rest at the Colonial Cemetery, Happy Valley, Hong Kong, with full military honours. It is very gratifying to record that among the floral tributes was one from former members of the Regiment now residing in Hong Kong.
The original 2 page manuscript letter from Colonel WRH "Robin" Charley, OBE, J.P., D.L., a former officer of the Royal Ulster Rifles, who saw service alongside Dempster in Palestine and Korea, reads as follows:
"I well remember L Cpl Jimmy Dempster. He was among a group of "old soldier" characters who were storemen in the Battalion, their stores were always immaculate. In Korea he was HQ Coy storeman based in E Echelon under the Quartermaster Tom Smith. He was still the Coy storeman in Hong Kong at the time of his death. he was a member of 2 RUR for all his early service until the amalgamation in 1948 ad then was in 1RUR (83rd & 86th)
H died in his sleep in Queen’s Hill Camp, New Territory, Hong Kong on 26 Nov 1952. We had a midday funeral for him in Colonial Cemetery, Hong Kong,, in Happy Valley.
I was Intelligence Officer of 2RUR in Palestine in 1946 and I cannot remember L Cpl D getting the BEM for “gallant conduct" I am not sure whether he could have been in the roundup of a lot of RUR Rfn in the guardroom who broke out in Saraland and stole a bren gun carrier. I know he was in Lt Bala Bredins Night Squad in 1938 which worked in Palestine under Wingate. I would have thought he got the BEM for his outstanding work as a solid storeman in the Bn. I see in QS that Cpl Jack Dawson, his contemporary as a famous storeman, got the BEM about 1946. He was in the same group of old soldier storemen.
I was Adjutant of 1 RUR in the Hong Kong days 1952-55 and I seem to remember that we were issued with the medal ribbon of the KUK nd KUN only in time for our return to the UK late 1953. Therefore L Cpl D would have been in order to wear the ribbons of his KUK and KUN and the LS & GC before receipt of the actual medals. There is no mention of his LS & GC in the enclosed copies of QS (Quis Separabit). I wonder what happened to his three medals, probably posted back to N.O.K.?"
Although Colonel Charley had no recollection of Dempster having been awarded the British Empire Medal for "gallant conduct" when writing about Dempster fifty-six years after the event, the London Gazette citation for Dempster's BEM confirms that it was in fact for "gallant and distinguished service in Palestine", and the fact that the citation for the award is "restricted" suggests that the award was probably for covert anti-terrorist activities.
2nd Lieutenant (later Major-General) Humphrey "Balla" Bredin, Royal Ulster Rifles, was twice decorated for gallantry in Palestine during the 1936-39 Arab revolt, being awarded the Military Cross and bar, his night squads carried out numerous punitive raids during the 1936-39 operations in Palestine.
